Jeremiah 50:2

2 Announce to the nations; proclaim and raise up a signal flag;^[a] proclaim, and hide nothing. Say: Babylon is captured; Bel^[b] is put to shame; Marduk is devastated; her idols are put to shame; her false gods, devastated.

Jeremiah 50:2 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 50:2

Declare ye among the nations
The taking of Babylon; a piece of news, in which the nations of the world had a concern, as well as the Jews, being brought under the Babylonish yoke, from which they would now be freed; and therefore such a declaration must be very acceptable and joyful to them. Some take these words to be the words of God to the prophet; others, the words of Jeremiah to the nations; the meaning is only, that such a declaration should be made, and such things done, as follow: and publish, and set up a standard; publish, [and] conceal not;
cause it to be heard far and near; and, that it may be heard, set up a sign or standard, to gather the people together to hear it; for this standard was not to be set up for the enlisting of men, or gathering them together, to go up and fight against Babylon, since it was now taken; but as a token of victory, and as expressive joy, on account of it; or rather for the reason given; see ( Isaiah 13:2 ) ; say, Babylon is taken;
this is the thing to be declared, published, and not concealed; but with an audible voice to be pronounced, and rung throughout the several nations of the earth. Thus, when the everlasting Gospel is preached to every nation on earth, and Christ is set up in it as an ensign and standard to the people; it shall be everywhere published, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen", ( Revelation 14:6 Revelation 14:8 ) ( Revelation 18:1 Revelation 18:2 ) ; Bel is confounded;
an idol of the Babylonians, thought by some to be the same with Baal by contraction; he is by the Septuagint called Belus, the name of one of their kings; who might be idolized after his death, as was usual among the Heathen lions: he is said to be "confounded", because he must have been, could he have been sensible of the taking of Babylon, where his temple stood, and he was worshipped, since he was not able to protect it; or rather, because his worshippers were confounded, that gloried in him, and put their trust in him. So the Targum,

``they are confounded that worship Bel;''

(See Gill on Isaiah 46:1). Merodach is broken in pieces;
another of their idols, which signifies a "pure lord"; some of their kings had this as one of their names, ( Isaiah 39:1 ) ( Jeremiah 52:31 ) . The Targum is,

``they are broken that worshipped Merodach;''

her idols are confounded, her images are broken to pieces;
these were their lesser deities, as the other two were their greater ones; all should be destroyed along with it; as all the idols and images of the church of Rome will, when that is destroyed, ( Revelation 9:20 ) .

Jeremiah 50:2 In-Context

1 The word the Lord spoke about Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, through Jeremiah the prophet:

2 Announce to the nations; proclaim and raise up a signal flag; proclaim, and hide nothing. Say: Babylon is captured; Bel is put to shame; Marduk is devastated; her idols are put to shame; her false gods, devastated.

3 For a nation from the north will come against her; it will make her land desolate. No one will be living in it- both man and beast will escape.

4 In those days and at that time- [this is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the Lord's declaration- the Israelites and Judeans will come together, weeping as they come, and will seek the Lord their God.

5 They will ask about Zion, [turning] their faces to this road. They will come and join themselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten.

Footnotes

• [a]. Ps 60:4; Isa 5:26; 18:3
• [b]. Jr 51:44; Isa 46:1